Due to certain metals' economic value, these metals may be targeted for theft. While copper may not be considered a precious metal, it does have a high economic value. The same can be said for aluminum, though it may be valued less than copper. Electrical wire and cable may comprise metals such as aluminum and copper. Consequently, electrical wire and cable may be targeted for theft. For example, a thief may enter a warehouse storing electrical wire and cable and may steal the stored electrical wire and cable. As another example, a thief may enter an electrical substation operated by an electric utility in order to steal any electrical wire and cable used in the electrical substation. In the electrical substation example, the thief may target, for example, bare copper ground wires running throughout the electrical substation. Once stolen, the electrical wire and cable may be taken to a recycling center and sold as scrap metal. The recycling center's operator may have no way to distinguish between stolen electrical wire and cable and legitimate scrap electrical wire and cable in the conventional commercial course.